February Favorites – 2022

I’m a bit torn at the moment. Should I open this blog up with a reference to “The Sound of Music” or would an Oprah reference work better? If you’re anything like me you’ve now got the song “My Favorite Things” stuck in your head, for which I sincerely apologize. 

As I’ve been committed to wearing daily himekaji for a year now, I’ve been in the process of re-ordering a few items that I’ve worn through. That got me thinking through what my most used/loved himekaji items are. What do I reach for daily/weekly? What are some of my himekaji must-haves?

With these questions in mind, I started to think through the last year, and I began to put a list together. Now, you won’t see specific dresses/blouses/skirts in here. I am hard at work on creating a wardrobe video, and in that I rank my most loved prints and what I find myself reaching for daily in terms of clothing. In this particular blog post, I wanted to focus more on other items, ones that I just couldn’t be a himekaji girl without! 

So without further ado, let’s dive on into it.

10. Snag Tights

Now if you know me, you know that I am extremely particular about fibers. I think jeans are a crime against textiles, and I absolutely cannot stand my bare skin touching things. (Ew!) Growing up I hated tights, but during my foray into vintage I found out why, I had been buying the wrong kind. With that in mind I set about finding the perfect pair for me. For the last 8-10 months I had been wearing Spanx high waisted tights, which I really liked. But I found them expensive, a little uncomfortable at times, and just not there in terms of quality. Typically, they lasted about 10 wears before they started to run which was annoying! It was also a real pain to find them. I could only ever find them in Macy’s and they rarely ever had my color/size. Not only that, but the only Macy’s near me is a bit dodgy, so I’d have to constantly look over my shoulder to make sure some creep wasn’t eyeing me up. Needless to say, I wanted a better alternative.

I debated for a long time about trying those tights that aren’t supposed to rip, but I HATED their sizing guidelines. It was only ever by weight and that bugs me like nothing else. Tights should always be sized by height and weight, otherwise you won’t be getting quite the right fit. 

That’s when I found Snag tights. 

Based in England, I really liked their broad shade range. They had everything from the very pale to the very deep and in between! I really liked their selection, as I have a hard time finding the right shade, but they really have a great shade range made for everyone! I also really enjoyed that their models were like, not weirdly sexualized? A lot of times when I see tights they’re like in nothing but their undergarments posing proactively which really makes me wonder if they really think women only wear tights in the bedroom? (More likely their marketing department is full of clueless men) But this brand really seemed to have a diverse range of models with nice pictures showing the products in an everyday setting.

It seemed at once like this was a brand made by women, for women, so I was definitely interested. 

I browsed around and selected three very different shades, a very pale, a medium, and a sheer medium.  Here’s my exact order!

• Sheer Pantyhose – Vanilla Marshmallow – C
• Sheer Pantyhose – Milk Bottle – D
• Semi-Opaque Tights – Builder’s Tea – C
• Wash Bags – Cat

I live in the US so it did take quite a bit for the tights to arrive, but I was really pleased when they did. They came in really nice eco-friendly packaging which was lovely! Moreover, when I touched them I was like, oh these are really nice!

The Milk Bottle shade, which are the lightest, and a bit on the light side for me. Vanilla Marshmallow, which were the closest in terms of shade, are honestly my least favorite. The fibers are a bit more coarse than the other two. I also purchased Builder’s Tea which were the best. They’re a bit dark in direct lighting, but oh my God are they comfortable.

I got two pairs in size B and one in size C. I would say that for the two opaque tights, the size didn’t matter much, but for the sheers the sizing was off for me. They don’t fit all that great compared to how amazing the other two are.

The opaque tights have a great texture, they are so blessedly soft. A lot of times the synthetic fibers in tights can be scratchy to those of us with sensory issues, but these feel lovely. In fact, I often forget I’m wearing them! They are extremely comfortable, with a nice waistband that sits just right on my waist. I’m not struggling to pull them up, nor are they folding over on themselves. 

To me, they are the perfect tights, and I’m so happy I found them!

Here are some visuals so that you can see how the tights look on!

9. Pink Keds Slip Ons

I love platforms, I really, really do. Coming in at a solid 5 feet (5’ 1 at best), I love how flattering platforms are, and how they make me feel. That being said, they are not always the most practical. While I often wear platforms to work, I found this winter I was unable too. Our ground froze early this year, and with it our sidewalks. We were salting every other day and it just was not platform weather, no matter how much I wanted it to be. 

I decided to go ahead and spring for some more practical footwear as I realized I wasn’t dressing up because I didn’t have shoes that worked with both my outfits and the weather. 

I ended up choosing this pair of Keds after a consultation with Mina. 

Originally, I was worried they wouldn’t be the right shade of pink and would clash, but I was pleasantly surprised…they were perfect!

The glitter is very sparkly and cute, and the pink matches the dusty pinks Liz Lisa has been favoring. In addition, they’re very comfortable, although I prefer to wear them with socks as I have a very narrow heel.

Personally, I think they’re a great in between and they work quite well with himekaji! Below are some examples of outfits I’ve put together with them!

8. Liz Lisa Spray Bottle Holder

What can I say? This has been such a lifesaver during the mess that is the pandemic. Both cute and functional I fill the spray bottle up with my favorite Bath and Body Anti-Bacterial Hand Spray and use it while I’m out and about. I typically hoot in onto the outside of my purse for easy access and have gone through several bottles of spray with it. It’s so practical and works really well, plus it looks so cute!

What’s better than something that is both cute and functional? Well, probably that I was lucky enough to scoop this one up on sale!

7. Liz Lisa Short Coat

I know I said I’d stay away from clothing, but I did want to count outerwear. Mostly because if I am guilty of one thing, it’s not wearing coats. As a child this stressed my Mom out, but now that I’m older she just thinks I’m nuts. (Well, I am she’s not wrong)

In fact, one of my big goals for 2021 was to wear coats during the winter. I find this coat from Liz Lisa is one of my favorites to slip on. Not only is it extremely comfortable, but it’s really cute, much cuter in person really. The crystal buckles on the side are super sparkly and give the coat a very nice, cute feeling. It’s also well insulated and I’m quite warm in it. I find it’s a really nice staple piece that goes with a lot of my outfits! 

The best part was again, I got it on sale! Here is an outfit I’ve put together with it!

6. Koibito Clothing

In 2021 I actually ended up losing a fair amount of weight, so much so that the majority of my activewear no longer fit (and was generally really worn out). I decided to venture out and try a new brand. While originally exceptionally skeptical, I was quite pleased with the quality of my purchase. 

I ordered the high waisted leggings in a size M, the sports bra in the size L, and a crop top in a size M. 

When ordering I was very nervous that the pattern I liked most would be see through, but it said on the website that they were squat proof so I figured I would go ahead and bite the bullet.

I received my order in a timely manner, and was quite pleased. The texture is very nice, it’s definitely athletic gear, but it has a slightly softer material than some of my other leggings which is nice. That makes it perfect for everyday wear in my opinion! 

I went outside for a jog and was pretty happy with their staying power. They held up well for the first two miles, but the back two I had to pull them up a bit more. I’m typically between a S-M so I wasn’t too surprised as it’s a common issue. My waist is typically more of a small, but I have large thighs which tend to need an M. I am thinking about possibly sizing down for my next order. 

Overall, I think they’re nice for light cardio (less than a 5k) or weightlifting. I wouldn’t wear them for longer runs or runs where I’m trying to break my PR (Personal Record). I definitely wouldn’t wear them for serious athletic events/training but I also personally don’t think they’re meant for that. I’ll stick with my Lululemons for my half marathons and serious races.

The bra I did have to return, because while it fit in the bust it did not fit in the under bust. It’s such a shame too, I have always wanted one of those cute gym sets, but it seems like it’s just not in the cards with my weird measurements.

The crop top was really nice! It’s a great length so that it doesn’t really show my midriff as it comes to the top of my leggings, which is nice! I don’t enjoy showing that much skin, but a lot of tops are too long on me so I prefer crop tops. This is perfect for weight lifting!

Overall, I can recommend Koibito clothing, I did really enjoy my purchases and I do find myself reaching for them frequently!

5. MDF Hair Tie

Ok, so I bought this on a whim since it was on clearance. It was a total impulse buy!

While JFashion headbands don’t bother me as much as they do other ladies, I tend to only wear them once a week at most. My head can only take so much abuse afterall. 

The problem is though, with my face shape, I need some kind of headband, clips, etc to balance out my face shape. So when I saw this on sale I figured it’d be a nice inbetween, and I was right!

Typically, I do an ‘Alice tie’, where I tie it up on top of my head. It’s a bit hard to get right and it does take some patience. Then once it’s tied I clip it in with some bobby pins and clips. It stays pretty much in place and is very comfortable and easy to wear. 

I’ve also used it as a blouse tie and a pony tail tie! It’s nice and versatile. It adds a little something extra to my outfits while still maintaining my comfort, and what could possibly be better than that!

4. My favorite hats

Ok, this one is general, I know! But I felt like I hate several different hats/berets scattered throughout this list, so I decided to combine them all into one.

Can you blame me? I love berets and hats, they’re just so practical! 

Liz Lisa took home the gold for the beret category with my black beret from their winter collection taking the top spot for the beret. I wear this one all the time. It keeps me nice and warm and it hides my roots when I’m too cheap to go to my hair stylist for a touch up. Plus it’s just super cute! 

For the general hats category, my Baby the Stars Shine Bright hat took home the best in show prize. I feel like I wore this everyday last summer, and I know it’s going to get a ton of wear this summer. It’s cute, fits like a dream, and adds a really lovely touch to all of my outfits. I just adore this hat, I feel like it’s in all my favorite pictures (and my Mom’s).

(My Mom’s favorite picture of me, it’s funny because I very rarely drink alcohol despite being 25)

3. Liz Lisa Trench Coat

Can I say it? I’m going to say it, I’m obsessed with this coat. I feel so cute and chic in it! The measurements on this are so lovely, sometimes coats feel tight in the bust/waist but this one definitely does not. I really enjoy how the belt cinches the waist in, giving me a very defined figure. While it’s not waterproof, it is water repellent to some degree. One of the really nice things about this coat too, is that the long length is great for protecting your clothes. Coupled with the long sleeves, I don’t fear wearing my nicer dresses out in public, I know they’re safe and sound under my coat. The only reason it’s not top on my list, is that as much as I love the sleeves the cuffs are weird and are not comfortable if you’re moving around a ton. They tend to ride up and because they’re elastic, that’s not very comfortable. Overall, it is in incredible wardrobe staple and I highly recommend it for those of us with bigger busts!

2. Cardcaptor Sakura Maison de Fleur Tote in Size M

When this collaboration first came out, I was so in love. The design is so cute and MDF bags are great quality. I missed the pre-order, but it seems their inventory manager hadn’t calculated the demand right…because they didn’t sell once they came in stock! In fact, I managed to get this beauty on sale for 30% off! Once I unboxed her, I was smitten. This tote is such a high quality tote, the material is nice and thick and the straps are sewn on very well so that it can fit a good amount in it. I use it everyday for work! 

The inside design is also super cute, I love opening it up and seeing Kero and her wands, it makes me feel like I can take on anything!

Not only is the design absolutely adorable, but it is just the perfect size!

I really love that it can fit a lot of books/notebooks as well as water bottles. It’s perfect for both everyday use and for travel. Personally, this is my favorite everyday bag. It fits all my work essentials, and more! 

1. White Innocent World Socks

I have a confession to make. All those pictures of me wearing white socks? Those are the same pair of socks. 

While I originally wore my Liz Lisa socks all the time, I stopped because that cute little crystal charm on them? Well it caught on my tights and ripped them on multiple occasions. That irritated me, so I stopped wearing them as often. I sit with my legs crossed so it became a real problem, they’re just not that practical. In reality I don’t have the mental bandwidth to worry about how I sit during my workday when I’m managing 12+ projects.

It’s just not realistic.

During one of Innocent World’s seasonal sales I ended up purchasing these simple white pair of socks. They’re really nice quality and don’t have any charms. They’re comfortable, practical, and cute so I ended up wearing them constantly. They also proved to be quite sturdy, and have lasted this long so I ended up purchasing an additional pair as well as some new ones from Axes Femme Kawaii. 

For me, bobby socks are a must have. They can help your tights last longer by putting a barrier between your tights and shoes. Plus they help balance out an outfit, and can even keep your feet warm during the winter. 

They’re an all around win, and definitely the most used item in my wardrobe. If you don’t believe me, just take a look at my Instagram!

Whew, what a blog! 

What are some items that you weren’t expecting or were surprised by? I’d love to hear from all of you down in the comments below!